Q: Engine light is on and sometimes the power in the engine reduces

asked by on October 04, 2016

Sometimes my engine light comes on my dash board on my Chevrolet Captiva. I have just had the car fully serviced and tuned. They could not find the problem with the engine light but they say that it could be a problem with the accelerator pedal and this needs to be changed. Is this correct?

When driving the car the engine light comes on and then the power of the engine reduces. Sometimes when i start the car the accelerator on the dash board / speedometer goes up without me putting my foot on the accelerator.

Please can you explain what the problem is and how to fix?

My car has 120000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

Check Engine Light is on Inspection $94.99 - $114.99 Get a Quote

I believe that the speedometer needle going up as the car is started is a factory feature that was added by Chevrolet on purpose. As for the acceleration issue, I would recommend having the vehicle scanned for trouble codes with an OBD-2 scanner. This will inform you of the malfunction that the PCM is reporting and can help lead you in the right direction towards locating the failed part. Once the part failure has been determined, the replacement procedure will be more clear to the technician performing the service. I don’t recommend following through with any repairs unless the technician makes a clear reading and diagnosis of the Check Engine code.

The statements expressed above are only for informational purposes and should be independently verified. Please see our terms of service for more details

Get an instant quote for your car

Our certified mechanics come to you ・Backed by 12-month, 12,000-mile guarantee・Fair and transparent pricing


Experienced Mechanic?

Earn up to $70/hr

What others are asking

If I modify my truck, will that affect how well the airbags and other safety gear work?
There are a number of ways for people to modify their trucks. Sometimes it is for utility reasons, like adding a snow plow. Other times the vehicle may be lifted to fit larger tires for better ground clearance. Here’s how...
Leaking water pump
If the water pump is leaking, then it will need to be replaced. During water pump replacement, it is recommended that the timing belt also be replaced, since it needs to be removed while the water pump is being replaced....
A/C
In order to properly test the system you will need to hook up gauges and check the pressures to see if the low side is getting low enough psi to cycle the compressor. Check if it is getting bellow about...
Low rpms no power 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Is the Check Engine Light on? The throttle body assembly is a common failure item on this vehicle and can cause similar symptoms. In some cases, throttle body assembly (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/throttle-body-replacement) will not open properly in accordance with the input from...
When carrying a load, van rough idles and loses power - 2001 GMC Savana 3500
Hello. There may be an issue with your fuel injectors. If the fuel injectors are clogged, this will not usually throw a Check Engine Light code but will prevent the engine from running properly. If a fuel filter (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/fuel-filter-replacement) becomes...
2007 S80 V8 "charging system failure" - new ACM and rebuilt (by xemodex) ECM and LIN bus waveform on Blu/Brn wire scopes fine
Hi and thanks for contacting YourMechanic. To test the alternator correctly you will need to full field the alternator (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/alternator-replacement). Get a Vat 40 or a Ferret 40 and hook it up to the battery and put the inductive pick...
2012 Toyota Santana , replace alternator,discornete battery,will not start even with charger on it
Hi there: If you have a remote FOB key, it's possible that there is a problem with that key, or that by disconnecting the battery, the ECU reset, causing the ignition system to be faulty right now. There are many...
Service engine soon error message
If the check engine light is on (aka, "service engine soon"), that means that there is a malfunction in the engine, typically involving the engine controls such as ignition, fuel, air induction, emissions and so forth. There are thousands of...

Related articles

P2666 OBD-II Trouble Code: Fuel Shutoff Valve B Control Circuit Low
P2666 means there is a problem with the fuel shut off valve usually due to any multitude of electrical issues and/or problems.
P0344 OBD-II Trouble Code: Camshaft Position Sensor Circuit Intermittent
P0344 means that signal is missing at one point or another at the camshaft position sensors. This is usually due to an electrical circuit fault.
P0393 OBD-II Trouble Code: Camshaft Position Sensor "B" Circuit High (Bank 2)
Trouble code P0393 means the PCM has detected a high voltage reading from the camshaft position sensor for camshaft sensor B in engine bank 2.